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Firm looks to take on Apple's Siri with Assistant digital helper

Both handsets run an un-bloated version of Android 7.1 Nougat, equipping them with features including a new split-screen mode, tougher security measures like file-based encryption, support for the Vulkan API, enhanced notifications and Data Saver and Night modes.

However, the big talking point is artificial intelligence (AI), and the Pixel and Pixel XL are the first smartphones to come with Google's Siri-rivalling Assistant service.

Users can press the Home button to fire up the human-like assistant, and can ask questions such as 'Show me upcoming events at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley' or 'Play me music by The Lumineers.'

It can also do things such as book a table at a restaurant by grabbing contextual information from conversations.

The Pixel smartphones resemble the iPhone 7 and the HTC 10 on the design front. The handsets feature a two-tone design, with a mirror-finish panel taking up the top half of the rear where the camera and fingerprint sensor are housed.

There are prominent iPhone-style antenna bands along the back and sides of the smartphones, a Google logo etched into the rear, and a chunky bezel along the top and bottom of the display.

A USB-C connector sits on the bottom of the handsets providing seven hours of juice after just 15 minutes on charge, but Google has decided against 'doing an Apple' by ditching the headphone jack and there's a 3.5mm port on the top of the smartphones.

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL have 5in Full HD and 5.5in QHD displays respectively, and both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor which the chipmaker claims is 10 per cent faster than the Snapdragon 820 chip in the LG V20.

This is paired with a decent 4GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 128GB of storage. A microSD slot allows this to be increased by up to 256GB.

Google claimed that the DxOMark rating of 89 makes the 12.3MP camera on the rear of the smartphone the "best ever". It comes with HDR+ switched on by default, a shorter capture time than any smartphone camera the firm has tested, and video stabilisation. There's also an 8MP camera on the front.

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL will be available in three colours named Quite Black, Very Silver and Really Blue.

The 32GB Google Pixel is available to pre-order from £599, while the 128GB version costs £699. The Pixel XL is more expensive at £719 and £819 respectively. The phones can also be picked up from EE and Carphone Warehouse.